


Hold your breath

by MitsukiOkami



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, Fantasy, Love Triangles, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Sexual Content, Threats of Rape/Non-Con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-16 02:54:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21500677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MitsukiOkami/pseuds/MitsukiOkami
Summary: His job was simple.Accompany the young rich offspring’s as they try to accomplish their heritage’s trial under the eyes of their strict parents.Help them survive under water while they free themselves from the ties around their body.Unlike these humans, Jihoon was a man of the sea – an Aquarial – gills in his neck and under his ribs.Despised by humans. But he didn’t think about it much.He was in love with his best friend Seungcheol, working together with him and his dad to earn them a living.Finally, they found to each other and could enjoy their life.Though, this one damn job ruined everything.
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Sooooo… Welcome to my third Seventeen fic!  
> I came up with this story while sleeping, so yeah, another dream written down.  
> It begins with a long ass prologue, please bear with me...  
> To be honest, I was thinking of leaving this a OS of just Cheol and Jihoon but the idea of a love triangle and the story I had in mind got me hooked up more.
> 
> Hopefully, it's enjoyable for you guys.

It felt weird, yawning above the surface.  
After all these years he should have gotten used to it, but it still was so… different. No water splashing into his mouth, no swirling out through his gills. Instead, he had to breathe in and out so slowly. It was easier under water, every gasp for oxygen was also an exhale at the same time.

The sun was bright today, but it wasn’t too warm. Since he was used to colder temperatures and couldn’t stand the burning heat of the summer, he felt thankful. It was just enough to let his clothes dry in an hour. Jihoon felt a breeze dancing through the fabric of his thin beige shirt and his linen white pants. Filling his human-like lungs with it, it felt like his body yearned for nothing more than air.

Every morning he had to adjust as soon as he got out of the water. Closing the coverage to his gills, the last bit of water flowing out, being able to use the nose to inhale fresh air. Sometimes he even forgot he had it.

The other way around, though, didn’t even take him seconds. As soon as his body was fully under water, his mouth opened slightly and his gill covers followed, pushing the air out of his lungs and water through his throat.

He wouldn’t say he preferred his natural habitat over the land, he just felt safer there. “Safe” was maybe not the right word, of course there were dangers in the sea as well but he was aware of them – or most of them. The life at land was different. There were so many more possibilities to get hurt or even die. He wouldn’t know how to deal with some of them. But the things he knew of had taught him his boss, who was probably one of the two only human specimen that did not hate him.

“Jihoon, good morning!” There came the other kind specimen.

Seungcheol, his boss’ son, walked up to him with a big smile, one hand up in the air, waving. His black hair shimmered like an onyx in the light of the sun, his white shirt got pressed against his upper body because of the breeze, showing the contours of his muscles. Jihoon had to concentrate looking into the young man’s face, preventing a blush.

Unlike humans, Aquarials’ cheeks wouldn’t turn red but turquoise since their blood was blue. Due to his bright skin color, it would be obvious for the other boy to see. “Good morning”, he gave back with a short smile.

“Dad told me to open up today, he’ll come soon, too.” A little out of breath, the taller boy came to a halt in front of him. The shop’s keys jingled against each other, hanging from a thin bond Seungcheol had woven when he was seven years old.

His parents loved him with the bottoms of their hearts; sadly, his mothers’ had stopped due to a disease when he was only ten. She was the one who found Jihoon all these years ago, stranded at the river close to their house. A kindhearted soul who took care of his wounds a big fish with sharp teeth had caused. Seungcheol looked as young as him, although he was taller back then already, but the difference in age between an Aquarial and a human were hard to define. They enjoyed each other’s’ company and soon, Jihoon secretly would sneak to the surface to play with the other boy. They were best friends for a long time.

When his mother passed, both men felt lost, the axis they always surrounded was gone, vanished from their life. His father started drinking these liquids with that stinging scent that hurt Jihoon’s nose. Seungcheol later explained that it had been something called “alcohol”.

Laying down all his work as a carpenter, he knew his son saw them losing their money due to his drinking habits, his fingers trembling continuously, unable to be still. His father eventually couldn’t proceed with his former job even if he wanted to.

One day, he brought himself to the river with its deep waters. He dared to step in, ready to drown his sorrow away. Lucky for him, Jihoon came buy, pulling him back on land. Crying his heart out, Seungcheol’s father explained between sobs that he couldn’t make a living anymore, feeling sorry for his son.

Jihoon made an offer. Since his own parents worked on the surface as well, he suggested he could help with working together with them. He knew what they were doing, even though it was risky, and they tried to hide it from him.  
When he got older, they started their own business and it started to flourish, noblemen from all over the country came to their river, requesting their help.

Seungcheol had always been thankful for saving him and his dad, growing even closer to Jihoon’s heart. At that time, he got aware of his feelings for the other.

Every gentle tap of the other on his tender skin made bubbles burst in his stomach. Seungcheol started to make more compliments, causing Jihoon’s cheeks to flush turquoise. The black-haired boy was always so fascinated by his species, that his eyes grew big and his lips curled into a smile every time Jihoon blushed. Often, he teased him, earning a punch as a reward, breaking into little showdowns between them. The smaller one had laughed it off for so long.

Time flew by and both grew older, Seungcheol was now 24 human years old, his body strong, muscles defined, voice deeper but still smooth. The method of just laughing it off was no option anymore. His heart jumped higher and stronger, the sight of his body got harder to take every time. Hugs became casual greetings, Seungcheol nuzzling into his shoulder when they took their break under the giant oak tree near the river were an everyday procedure and he wondered if he was the only one having a difficult time.

He didn’t know how to handle the situations, sometimes he would step away from him, taking a swim to clear his head before the next customer arrived, sometimes he endured, and these were the hardest times in his job. His whole morning consisted of emotionally preparing for the break, the evening of trying to hide from him as soon as the last customer had left.

Also, knowing relationships between the same sex was just as despised at the surface as Aquarials, Jihoon had no other choice than acting as if nothing was wrong.

Where he came from, same sex relationships were completely normal, the family next door consisted of two women and their son. The decision of getting children was granted to everybody, though the seed to grow into a child could also be given differently. It didn’t always need sexual intercourse.

Up here, relationships between man and woman were the only ones accepted because of the safety of procreation of their kind. There were so many humans walking on earth, Jihoon didn’t understand the necessity of securing their descendants.

Seungcheol patted Jihoon’s shoulder – like every morning. “Let’s get this over with.” Shining with a wide grin, he then stepped passed the smaller one, over to a small cabin, a stall in front of it. There, they welcomed their guests, explained them the process very detailed, setting dates and so on.

He unlocked the door of the cabin and went inside, coming back with a small note and something wrapped in thin paper. From afar Jihoon sniffed the faint scent of chocolate, his eyes growing big. The other boy knew that he could smell it and couldn’t hide a giggle at the excited look on his face. “You want some?”

“Of course, I want that!”, the brown-haired boy exclaimed and hurried over.

When he approached, Seungcheol had his hand up in the air, making it impossible for the other to grab it. “Come and get it!”, he teased. Seeing how Jihoon huffed annoyed he added, “Come on, come closer if you want it.”

Taking a step towards him, his eyes fixated on the chocolate in the hand that was up in the air. It sank slowly, bit by bit, baiting him with it like a worm with a fish…

…until he stepped right into the trap.

The arms closing around him quickly, Jihoon was caught between them, body pressed against the other. First, he tried to wiggle out of it but gave in soon after, he knew Seungcheol was stronger than him. There was a laugh above his head, causing bubbles to build in his tummy. He loved that sound… but he wasn’t allowed to.

“I caught one of these dangerous Aquarials!” He giggled just a little longer until the smaller one kicked against his shin, still not letting go. “Ah, that hurts…!” His face turned into a pained grimace, but the smile returned just as quickly as it had vanished. “That’s the maximum danger you can bring up.”

His eyes met Jihoon’s whose heart skipped a beat. Up close he was even prettier. The beautiful dark brown eyes of his mother and the adorable nose of his dad. He had gotten only the best parts. The sweet smile on his pink lips made him feel uneasy. The sun lit up his face, his skin shimmered like gold.

They opened when Seungcheol said, “Seriously, I don’t get why people are so afraid of Aquarials. You guys are probably the loveliest beings all over the world. You don’t even dare to hurt any other creature.”

Jihoon heard the light tremor deep within the others’ throat. The eyes looking deep into his soul, he almost felt naked. Slowly, the stare started to panic him, he tried to think of ways to get out of this grip, an acted pain that made it seem like he held him to firmly, but he couldn’t think of anything. Seungcheol was even considerate enough to not hurt his gills beneath his ribs, instead he held him around his waist.

His face suddenly turned serious. “You guys are so pretty, especially from up close. Why would anyone say you are ugly?”

These words made Jihoon nearly lose his sanity. He couldn’t help but blush. The blood shot up into his cheeks, his mouth agape, not knowing how to reply.

Seungcheol’s chuckle ripped him out of his dream state. He snorted and protested, “’Not hurting any creature’, as if!” To strengthen his argument, he hit the top of Seungcheol’s head with his flat hand, starting to wiggle again.

“Ouch…! Stop…!” Through his demands he giggled. One arm freed him, holding up the chocolate again. “Stop, or you won’t get this.”

Jihoon grunted, “You are abusing your power here!” Eventually, he stopped his attempts of escape.

“That’s better”, the other chuckled. He set the smaller one down, his arm still around his waist. With his teeth he unwrapped the chocolate from its paper, somehow managing to hold it before Jihoon’s mouth, so the wrap wouldn’t bother him when he would bite into it.

Again, Jihoon blushed, lighter this time. “What, are you going to feed me now? You know I can eat on my own.”

The pout on Seungcheol’s face made his heart drop. “Ah, come on, you will work hard soon anyway, you need every strength you can get!”

Rolling his eyes, he took a bite of the chocolate, the sweetness filling his mouth, making him hum in delight. Honestly, this was the best thing that ever existed. He remembered the first time eating chocolate. Seungcheol had laughed at his reaction, making him eat even more of it, making Jihoon fall for human sweets. He couldn’t help but smile at the familiar taste that he hadn’t had in a while.

Sadly, chocolate isn’t too healthy for men of the sea, so he could only enjoy it in moderate amounts. He also remembered how he stuffed himself with the sweetness and could only lay sick in his bed at home, his parents scolding him. His own mother had met Mina – Seungcheol’s mother – explaining, what he could eat and what not. The two mothers got along well, though they rarely met.

Jihoon’s parents were too busy with their own work to take care of friendships… and their son at some point. When he reached a certain age, he moved out into his own shell house, close enough to his best friend at the surface. He was still young, when he moved out, Seungcheol had just been 13 years old.

He was good, living on his own had its perks. There were some rules you had to follow, though. Don’t live too close to the surface, humans were not allowed to easily reach them. Not that they even wanted to, but he had wished he could show his best friend his home, having time for themselves…

He wasn’t sure if he was sad or relieved that Seungcheol wasn’t able to breathe under water, who knew what Jihoon might try… He wasn’t one to take initiative but at some point, he probably couldn’t take it anymore.

Seungcheol smiled gentle when he listened to Jihoon’s reaction. “Glad I could give you something good.” Jihoon looked up into his eyes and his human heart stopped for a second. Because of the white skin, the Aquarial’s eyes looked black although they had a beautiful soft brown, his hair matching perfectly. It seemed like a huge contrast but to Seungcheol, it seemed the boy in his arms shone bright, the sun didn’t even stand a chance. The dark brown color of his hair didn’t make him look pallid, instead it gave his skin a lightly darker tone. He couldn’t put into words how beautiful that young man was.

His heart screamed in excitement of their bodies touching. Sometimes he worried to burn Jihoon since his body was colder than the one of a human, making him immune to the cold in the depth of the sea. He could feel the coldness seeping through his shirt, tensing his muscles slightly. It wasn’t a freezing sensation, rather like a cold wind in autumn.

Still munching on the bite of chocolate, Jihoon didn’t break their eye contact. Just now he realized his hand held onto the back of his friend, supporting himself to not lose balance. The warmth the other radiated felt almost like burning – almost.

Not sure if it was him or Jihoon, their faces seemed to get closer, but both didn’t fight against it. Maybe today Seungcheol finally had the chance.

He knew of the others’ feelings – he was bad at hiding them – and that he always had been worried what others might think, but Seungcheol wanted to show him that it didn’t matter to him. Whenever Jihoon had escaped his grasp because these thoughts were haunting him, it tortured him, feeling like he lost the only left precious thing to him.

He didn’t want to lose another loved person.

“Boys, are you done preparing?” A rougher voice called, making the boys jerk in surprise. It was similar to Seungcheol’s but it felt like his vocal cords fought against water that swirled around them, although there was none.

Jihoon’s boss stepped up, looking at both with a raised eyebrow. Sighing, he answered himself, “Doesn’t look like it. Aren’t you too old by now to annoy him like that, Cheol? Let go of him and make yourself useful, get the ropes and the notebook with the bills.”

Like a soldier he immediately let go of the smaller one, nodded and ran off, hiding his bright red face. Awkward.

Finally swallowing the bite of chocolate, Jihoon watched his friend disappear with the rest of the sweets in his hand, still processing what just happened. The father trudged over to him, as big but also as cuddly as a bear – a giant fluffy creature that mostly got killed because it tried to protect his habitat and family – it resembled him well. He patted his shoulder, strong enough to nearly make Jihoon lose his balance and fall to his knees. “That brat never seems to grow up, eh?”

The wide smile of the man made him giggle. Whenever the black-haired boy teased him, his father was there to step in. He had always been there for both. Sometimes it happened, that the young men broke into a fight and didn’t want to talk to each other, it was always his father to bring them to talk it out. Always proudly saying, that he doesn’t want his two sons to be fighting.

He always felt thankful to be called his son, building a relationship he never had with his real father.

Cheol came back, the ropes swung over his shoulders, in one hand the notebook. Jihoon’s eyes found the biceps of the other, his stomach felt like swirling. He hated that he was so attracted to him, but he could never look away.

The worst part of his age was, that he could easily get heated, being needy, enjoying a simple touch. He knew he wasn’t allowed to. Just now, when Seungcheol’s face had come closer, he had frozen but internally begged him to come even closer.

The humans had a weird ritual they did when they were with their mates. They called it a “kiss” – pressing their mouths together, letting their lips move on each other. He had seen it with Seungcheol’s parents and found it weird, but they seemed to enjoy it.

Down in the water, the Aquarial’s didn’t do something like that. Besides sex, the most intimate thing to do, was pressing their cheeks on another. It symbolized utmost trust and was something precious. It was hard to explain since he had never experienced it himself and his parents rarely did it, but that didn’t mean that they didn’t love each other.

The only thing their mouth was used for was breathing and eating.

Jihoon was curious what a “kiss” felt like.

The father walked over to his son, taking the notebook and looked inside but Jihoon got distracted by the boy behind him, lifting the heavy and thick ropes off his shoulders, putting it down in the grass. He stretched as if showing off his muscles even more, causing the brown-haired boy to suck in air sharply. His body tingled and he wished he could just grab that boy and pull him behind the house to…

Realizing what he was thinking, his mind stumbled and fell, embarrassed of himself. His heat sometimes dazed his mind, fueling his fantasy but it had never got the best of him. Until now, he had been strong enough, but never had his desires been so hungry before. Averting his eyes, his legs moved before he gave the permission to, jumping into the cold water.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to free his mind from his longing. It didn’t work at first, images from just now and from weeks ago filled his head. His smile, the shirt pressing against his abs, the one evening in summer where he took off his shirt and long pants, jumping into the water to Jihoon. His muscles had moved so smoothly whenever he moved his arms and when his body rolled to imitate his own movements.

That night could have been magical if his heat wouldn’t have interfered. Under the water, it had been hard to see but his crotch had grown hard, his hands reached for his friend, thank the gods he hadn’t noticed, but he retrieved when he had turned to him.

Right now, he felt something in his lower half twitch, angering himself. This was the worst. It had never been so bad like this. Gritting his teeth, he swam along the river fast to get out of their sight, leaning against the muddy walls to have a surface to press himself against, his feet burying into the soft ground, sand completely swallowing them.

He hated that he had to do it, but at this rate, he didn’t see another option to come back to his senses.

His hand gripped the waistband of his pant and pulled it down, revealing his erection. First carefully, his hands trailed along his length and he asked himself, how it looked between Seungcheol’s thighs.

_Was it built the same way? Did he have that kind of tip as well? Did it also change its color because of his blood? Had he ever touched himself like he was about to? If yes, had he ever thought of him when he did it?_

The thought of his friend lying on his bed, one hand in his pants, the other clung into the matress, sweet sighs coming out of his mouth, he only knew from when he was lifting heavy things, almost grunts, and his body trembling, made Jihoon wild. His hand moved faster on himself and with every pump he wished for Seungcheol’s pants to slide down his legs, but his imagination didn’t let that happen. Feeling the tingling inside his body getting stronger, he arched his back together with the boy in his imagination, his chin dropped, his voice echoing through the water, his hand moving faster.

“Not yet”, he whimpered, although he knew he had to hurry back, but he didn’t want to lose this sensation just yet. He managed to tell himself to hold in his release, extending the walk on the edge of his climax until he heard his friend inside his head call for him. It was a stretched moan, but he could clearly hear it.

_“Jihoon…!”_

He gasped, head thrown back against the mud wall, body shaking, his member releasing a thick clear liquid that vanished just a few seconds after, dissolving in the water. Whines quivered in his throat, his hand still moved slowly on him, trying to have a slow end to it.

“Jihoon!”

He froze. The voice he had heard while pleasuring himself hadn’t been in his head.

“Jihoon! Where are you? The first customers will arrive soon!” It was the real Seungcheol.

He freed his member, pulling his pants up and swam back, just a few meters away he found him at the shore, observing the water. Jihoon was lucky he had finished on time or else he would have found him, since the water was clear enough to see the bottom.

His feet kicked faster in the water to reach Seungcheol, sticking his head out of the water. “Sorry, I just wanted to take a swim before the first customer comes.”

Seungcheol shook his head and grinned. “You live down there, were you afraid you might forget how to swim?”

He rolled his eyes in response, splashing some water at the other boy, “Shut up, Cheol. Let’s see who is back first!” He ducked his head down again and started to rush towards the cabin, hearing Seungcheol curse, his steps echoing through the ground, erupting the water, gentle waves brushing over Jihoon’s skin.

He had gotten faster over the years and was able to keep up with him but Jihoon could speed up a little and reached the goal first, climbing out the water, Seungcheol arriving out of breath. “Well, you were able to catch up to me, but you are still too slow”, Jihoon teased.

The sight made Seungcheol unable to speak. The wet clothes stuck to the figure of the other boy. Never had he noticed how bulky his arms had gotten, a hint of his abs was also visible. Watching him shake his head and then tugging his hair back nearly stole the oxygen out of his lungs. Stunning.

To Jihoon’s bad, he didn’t notice his own small bulge in his pants, making Seungcheol blush a little. Was that his normal state? Or did he… _do something_ when he said he went for a swim?

It was when his dad patted his back, that he snapped out of his stare. “Come one now. The first clients will be here in twenty minutes. Get ready, boys!”

“S-Sure!”, he answered, trying to get the images out of his head. “I’ll just get something to drink, I’m back in a second.” He heard his friend laugh and say something like his stamina wasn’t very good when he turned around, but he didn’t react to that.

Rushing into the kitchen, he grabbed a cup and filled it with water from the sink, a mirror hung above it. Looking at his reflection, he noticed the still red color in his cheeks, his mind drifted to Jihoon, impossible for the color to fade. He felt excitement build up inside of him, making his face get even warmer. He set the cup aside and splashed some water into his face to cool down. _Stop thinking about something like that_ , he thought, _Jihoon wouldn’t do something like that. After all, Aquarials are pure creatures, unlike you._

It took him a few minutes to calm down. Thinking of his work, he checked in his mind if he hung up the ties correctly, if they were in a good condition and such stuff. Taking a deep breath, he then took the cup again and downed the water, wiping his mouth and returned to the front door.

There stood Jihoon, his still wet clothes like glued to his body. Seungcheol dared to peek down and noticed the bulge was gone. Maybe he had just imagined it, his mind had played tricks on him when he was in awe of the others’ body. The boy stared into the distance behind the gate the customers usually came through. Was he waiting for them to arrive?

Walking up to him, he asked, “What’s wrong? Are you dreaming?”

Jihoon’s head turned to him, waiting for the other young man to stop next to him, afraid of skin contact. When he finally came to a halt, their eyes met, and he shrugged. “I didn’t know what else to do, so I’m waiting for them to arrive.” Again, his head shifted to the gate, eyes searching for something in the field miles away.

Observing the others’ profile, Seungcheol forgot his surroundings, focused only on the few waterdrops that trailed from his hair down Jihoon’s face and neck, his veins pulsing. God, he was gorgeous.

“There they come.”

The voice ripped the black-haired out of his trance. His look wandered to the gate, three person’s stepping through. A slim woman to the right with a big and heavy looking black hat, which seemed like it could crush her anytime, her dark red dress ostentatious, walking slow. She might wear high heels, he thought, getting stuck in the earthy ground with each step. Her bright blonde wavy hair bounced with every step. In the middle walked the head of this family, also slim in figure, tall, a silk hat covering his probably bald head, skin pale, a monocle squeezed between his left eyebrow and cheek, the golden chain disappearing into the big collar of the coat he was wearing.

Carefully he leaned over to Jihoon to whisper, “Do you remember how I told you about someone called Dracula? A vampire biting other humans, drinking their blood?”

He couldn’t hide a grin and a small chuckle. “The woman probably fits perfectly. But his son…”

Watching the smallest figure of them, he noticed the son was trembling. His blond hair was brushed back and cut short, his eyes nervously peeking over to his father every now and then. When they saw him and Seungcheol standing there, the boy placed one hand on his stomach, back crooked. He was nervous. So much, that he was about to empty his stomach. On the other hand, every rich boy who came here was.

They stopped far away enough to not be in a radar in which he could possibly hit them. Internally rolling his eyes, Jihoon stepped back and joined his boss at the booth. “They are here and just as conceited as all the other ones.”

His boss patted his shoulder. “I’m sorry you have to go through all of this for us…” He knew the young boy would scold him if he suggested to send them away, so he said, “It won’t be for long if their son isn’t too stupid.”

Jihoon scoffed, “They never are, how could you say something like that about these lords?” They both giggled, a bit more relaxed he added, “No one died here, that’s why we have such a good reputation.”

Again, his boss patted his shoulder, a little rougher this time. “All thanks to you. You won’t let anyone die. You have your tricks and that’s good.” He put on his friendly dad-smile that told him, that he was proud of him.

He nodded, returning the smile. It was true, he had his tricks. He was with these young boys down in the water, pushing in a certain amount of oxygen into them while they tried to unwind from the ties around them. This ritual was supposed to show generosity. Accepting a selfless gift from the menial Aquarials while showing their strength. But honestly, there was no generosity in it. The only generous thing during this process was Jihoon, trying to hold them alive. When he saw, they were in trouble, he helped them, some noticed, some didn’t, some were thankful some acted like they did it on their own.

Turning around to see Seungcheol coming up to them who rolled his eyes, making him smile, he looked at the nervous boy, now intertwining his shaky fingers. His slim, long father didn’t dare to look at his son once, instead he held his nose up, a greatly disapproving look over to him, then scrunching that huge nose in disgust. Jihoon had loved to pull a grimace but he needed to keep it professional. Now looking to the woman, he caught her staring into a mirror.

Their clothes were all dark and thick, too warm for this weather but what did he care, right? At least the boy didn’t wear too much. He probably was the only one with a full functioning brain.

Seungcheol’s dad walked up to them, explaining the ropes were ready to be put on. For a split second, it made him worry the boy might sunk to the ground and break some bones with the heaviness around him, that’s how thin he was. He would never reach the water at this rate.

Jumping into the water, he filled his gills, then stuck his head out of the water surface. Indeed, the boy needed help to get into the water, so his best friend gave him a gentle push. He couldn’t deny a little grin growing on his face. He disliked these people as much as Jihoon did.

Diving his head down again, the trial started. He watched the boy sink to the ground and nearly panic. Swimming to him, he caught his attention, signing with his hands to calm down. He was only allowed to request a certain amount of breaths of Jihoon. Because of his panic, he already lost one, having drained his own oxygen. With the butt, he landed on the mud, Jihoon placing his hand on the sides of the others face, massaging his jawbone so it eventually dropped open, closing the distance between their mouths until they nearly touched and pushed all the oxygen into the others’ lungs.

The process wasn’t as easy as normal breathing, in fact, it was a mixture of breathing down here and up above the surface. He filtered a lot of the oxygen out of the water to have enough for himself and someone else. The rest he stored in his human-like lungs. He couldn’t access them himself, he was reliant of his gills here. Whenever he opened the connection from his throat to the lungs, the oxygen burst out of him.

For humans, it was a slight hurdle. They are used to breathing air, which has just a small amount of oxygen, so suddenly getting fed with a whole breath of it can be difficult to handle but lasted a little longer.

The boy calmed but more because of the shock of another boy being this close. Jihoon pointed at the ties. The boy nodded that he understood. He had little time to get out of this.

Starting to wiggle, he managed to kick the ties off his feet, making his body a little lighter. He floated up a little, a part of the ropes swirling off him themselves, freeing his legs now. He used all he could to stand up, his lungs starting to scream. A begging look at the Aquarial, who immediately provided him with another burst of his need.

Again, he started to fight against the ropes, swirling around. Jihoon noticed the ties got tangled up at his back and he wanted to help but had to wait for the next “burst” like he called it. He needed some time to produce it. Watching the boy struggle, the panic raised back into his face. Now was the time.

He moved a lot to erupt the surface, so it wasn’t clear to see from the bystanders above, he closed up to the boy again, giving him another burst and his fingers sneaking around him, untangling the ropes. All it needed now, were a few more wiggles. And that was it.

The ties fell off his body and he swam to the surface, coughing and gasping for his precious air. Jihoon grabbed the materials and carried them up, dragging them to the shore.

A loud “Ha!”, made him jerk. The boy still climbing out of the water screamed in relief. “Ha! I was great! I only needed 3 of 6 breaths! Father, did you see that?! How I did all of that myself?!”

 _Myself?_ In disbelief, Jihoon looked at him, suppressing a scoff.

“That creature tried to grab me, but I pushed it off!”, he announced proudly, pointing at him. “Father, did you see?!”

In fact, his father couldn’t have seen it, since Jihoon had tried to erupt the water. Yet, a small snake-like, disgusting smile grew on his face, a cold shiver running over the body of the brown-haired boy. A rough but squeaking voice came over the fathers’ lips, “You did amazing! Finally, I can admit, you are my son!”

He had to hold back a gag. _Finally, I can admit, you are my son._ The life of that boy must’ve been hell. But Jihoon didn’t care, since the blonde exclaimed how he did all this alone, a truly born liar.

Earning a few other bad words and looks from that family, he turned around, rolling his eyes. This was not the first time he had to go through that, this is what normally happened after a job. Although he didn’t want to, he watched them leave. Surprisingly, the boy turned around, bowing his head slightly, his eyes an apology, his smile forming “Thank you.”

Jihoon smiled back and watched him turn around, just to jump when his best friend ran past him towards the gate with something in his hand. It looked like one of the apples his dad brought in a basket from the apple tree next to their house. He pulled his arm back, ready to make it fling and throw the apple after them. Jihoon wasn’t the best runner but he eventually reached him and stole the apple out of his hands, leaving his friend puzzled. “Don’t throw with food, moron!”

Before he could protest, his father said, “The boy apologized and thanked him, so forget what you were about to do, son.”

The anger lifted from his face. “I didn’t see.”

“But he did”, the other assured, nudging his head and holding the apple to his lips. “Instead of wasting food, eat it. You usually don’t eat when you open the shop. Here.”

Sighing, Seungcheol took a bite, chewing it down. “Are you feeding me now?”

He grinned. “Pay back.” Placing the apple in the hand of the black-haired young man, he turned around, leaving him behind with a heavy pounding heart.

“The next customers come in an hour. You can rest a bit, take a swim or whatever you’d like to. Ah, and thanks for bringing the ties up”, his dad explained. “You know that’s Cheol’s work.”

“Sure, boss.” Out of the basket next to the stall, he grabbed an apple and bit into it, the sweetness spilled on his tongue, making him shiver. “You have the best food up here. I’m so jealous, we don’t have trees where we live.”

The bear chuckled. “It’s somehow relaxing to see you swooning over an apple, you know. Something so simple up here but something so special down there.” He knew, Jihoon loved apples and only ate them to reward himself when he did a good job. He always did but he didn’t feel like it most of the times, especially when the customers are rude. Seeing him rewarding himself was probably thanks to the clients’ son.

He sat down at the shore, covered by the water up to his waist. Humming a melody of a song his mom had sung when he was little. Watching how the bear took the rope next to him and swung it over a branch of the oak tree to let it dry. Clapping his hands, he went into the cabin and didn’t come back. Probably resting his eyes for a while.

His attention got ripped off him when Seungcheol sat down next to him… wearing only his underwear. It took him so much control not to blush. “Since when do you eat your apples being nearly naked…?”

A chuckle bubbled out his friend. “I’ll just finish eating this and then take a swim. You want to join?” Flashing a smile with his teeth visible, he noticed Jihoon being confused. He nudged his shoulder with his own. “Hey. Thanks for calming me down back there.” His eyes concentrated on something shiny in the water, a fish lost in their river.

Mindlessly munching on his apple, he thought of the last time they swam together. It felt like ages ago. He had imitated his friend to make him laugh after having a rough day but also observed him as best as he could. He wanted to remember small details of him, just to be able to think back to that evening.

But he had used it differently. So many times. And he should be ashamed of it. Yet, he wasn’t. Instead he yearned for more of these evenings with a… good end.

He blushed slightly, hating his mind being so perverted. He finished his apple, throwing the rest he never ate next to the oak tree, near the shore, saying he’d clean it up later, then leaned back and pushed himself into the water. He tried to float but instantly sunk. Peeking over to the legs of his friend, he hoped to catch a sight of something else… but no chance. His pants were too long.

Joining in after he finished his apple, he got up and took an elegant jump into the water, landing in it close to Seungcheol. Both felt so light and enjoyed the feeling of just floating until the taller one met the ground, Jihoon floating above him, facing him. He smiled but his friend didn’t return it. His eyes showed something else he had seen today already, when their faces closed in.

Seungcheol’s lungs were trained well, he could hold his breath for long, but he still needed it at some point. He pointed at his throat and the smaller one knew. When he came closer, he opened his mouth automatically. This wasn’t the first time he got the bursts, but he knew he couldn’t take many and felt lightheaded after some time.

Releasing the rest of the air inside him urged Jihoon to hurry and fill his friends’ lungs faster. He grabbed his face and brought their mouths closer, giving Seungcheol a burst.

This was it. This was the chance. And he finally took it. He pulled Jihoon closer, one hand around him, the other on the back of his head, their lips finally meeting. The boy in his arms tensed, not knowing how to respond. He couldn’t breathe. Both couldn’t.

Noticing the situation wasn’t as perfect as he had planned it to be, Seungcheol released the boy so he could breathe in his way, himself pushing up from the ground. He took a huge gasp of air when he broke through the surface. He swam to the shore, wondering why his friend was still down there. Did he… scare him?

Eventually, Jihoon came up, slowly approaching him, climbing out the water, looking a bit paralyzed. “Wh-What was that about…?”

Seungcheol blushed. “That was supposed to be a kiss.”

He huffed, “ _That_ was a kiss? I could barely breath!”

Feeling ashamed, Seungcheol apologized and added, “That’s what it basically is… it’s stealing each other’s breath.” The small boy fell silent. “But to be honest, I forgot that it’s so risky down there. You can only breath with your gills… I’m sorry.”

After a long silence, he asked, “Is… Is it easier here?”

Seriously thinking about it, he explained, “Could be, because you can breathe through your nose on the parallel.”

His cheeks turning turquoise, he suggested, “Do it again. Here, I mean.”

Seungcheol froze, not sure if he had heard right. Slowly, he looked over to the boy who was even now stealing his breath. When there was no other word that could have protested, he knew. Finally.

Jihoon was so turquoise and closed his eyes in embarrassment, awaiting what was to come.

Closing in slowly, their noses met. Seungcheol hesitated. “Breathe through your nose.” Knowing the other often forgot to use it, he had to remind him. Relaxing, when he felt air from the nose of the other brush his chin, he continued, the moment taking so long until they touched. Their breathing stopped simultaneously.

First gently, he didn’t dare to give in to his desires, he felt Jihoon’s closed lips and dared to gently move on them, a small gasp escaping his unknowing friend.

Trying to imitate the others’ movements, his heart fluttered, and his body tingled. For the first time he understood why it felt so intimate, the slow motions could carry all emotions.

Seungcheol stopped and leaned away a bit, watching Jihoon’s reaction. His eyes were still closed as if processing what happened.

After a few seconds, he dared to open them, seeing Seungcheol’s red face. “Th-That… That felt amazing… I can’t put it in words…”

The awkward situation made Seungcheol laugh, the words making him feel proud but also ridiculous. That was his first kiss and he had saved it for him and now it had happened. It was way too short. “It really was amazing. Could’ve been longer, though.”

Jihoon chuckled. “Yeah, I think so, too.” He carefully crawled up to him, whispering, “I want another one.” His heat started to take over but for the first time it felt good slowly giving in to it. He didn’t feel like he had to fight it.

The tall one blushed deeper but nodded. “A-Alright”, he stuttered, “Get on my lap then.”

A little confused but doing what he was told, his butt sitting down on Seungcheol’s strong thighs, the legs resting to his sides. Explaining why he wanted it like that, Cheol said, “It’s easier to kiss you like that.” A shy smile grew on their faces, Seungcheol gently pulling Jihoon’s face closer to his, their lips meeting again. Jihoon moved faster on his own, leaving his friend a little stunned and forced to keep it up, but it was hard as Jihoon sped up to make this kiss grow wilder. He didn’t mind but… his whole body started to react to the situation.

Little gasps in between them, a louder one when Seungcheol dared to surprise his lovely Aquarial with his tongue gently slithering against his lips. Jihoon, in surprise, jerked away. “No, no, don’t worry, it’s okay…!”, Seungcheol tried to calm him. “It’s just my tongue…! I… lost myself there… But you can use your tongue as well… I-I think.”

Watching how his face went hotter with every word, he hesitantly came closer again. “How? Show me.” He was so eager and wanted to learn everything that could make the other feel good. A bit proud of himself to make his friend lose control over his self, he scooted closer on his lap, too.

Seungcheol sighed pleased, his body so excited and about to control him. “Come here.” He pulled him closer again, kissing him hungrier, when Jihoon was in need for air, he snuck his tongue inside his mouth, first teasing his own, then, when he started to adjust, dancing around it.

Jihoon escaped a sigh, then a moan, he didn’t notice his body getting warm, concentrated only on the boy beneath him. Until he felt something nudging his abdomen, causing him to break the kiss and looking down. Seungcheol had grown hard and it pushed through his underwear against Jihoon. He couldn’t believe he caused it. He wanted to ask what he should do but got interrupted bis the others’ lips meeting his neck, trailing along it to his collar bones. It was such a surprise that he yelped but felt like melting into it. When he kissed up again and got closer to his gills, Jihoon shivered. “It feels… so good…”

Unsure if he could go further, he carefully dared to kiss one cover of his gills, earning a moan of the boy on his lap. _He must be sensitive here, gentle touches must drive him crazy_ , he thought and dared to let his tongue trail along it. The boy trembled in his arms, his hips shuddering against his own hardened member, causing himself to moan. “Jihoon…”

Flashbacks from before, when he had to pleasure himself, rushed through his mind. The image of Seungcheol calling for him while he touched himself… Oh boy, this right now sounded _so_ much better. Although he didn’t know why he moaned his name, he couldn’t stop shivering, the tickling of his gill covers was about to drive him insane.

There was only one thing he could do to turn this situation around.

One of his hands sunk between them, grabbing Seungcheol’s hard member, a moan coming from the other.

“W-Wait…!”, Seungcheol interrupted. Jihoon looked at him, worried he did something wrong or even ruined everything. “Not here… It’s too much in the open… I don’t want dad to see us…” He blushed, still huffing for air. “Let’s go to my room. It’s not too far, is it?”

Jihoon got up, now noticing his own sex starting to grow. “Then let’s hurry, I’m so heated, I don’t want to wait much longer.”

Seungcheol cursed and got up, grabbing Jihoon’s wrist. “Fuck that, let’s get behind the tree, no one can see us there.” He stomped away, Jihoon stumbling after him, kicking away the apple leftovers even further and sitting down behind it, back resting against the tree trunk, gesturing Jihoon to sit on his lap again.

He shook his head. “Not like this.” He got on his knees and grabbed Seungcheol’s waistband of the still wet pants and pulled it down his legs, his hardness jumping out, hitting his own belly. It was so rosy and big and round that he couldn’t take his eyes of it.

The other blushed by the sudden movement and the stare now but it was no use hiding it anymore. He finally got what he was craving for every night lately. “If I have to take of my clothes, you have to do it as well”, he suggested before Jihoon was about to climb back on him.

He blushed brightly but started to undress with pulling the shirt over his head, revealing a surprisingly muscular upper body. Throwing it behind him with a loud and heavy sounding _THUD_ , he turned to his pants, his thumbs diving beneath the waist band, _slooooowly_ pulling it down, not because he was shy but because he wanted to put on a small show. He didn’t know what had gotten into him, but the fabric flipped off his butt when he pushed it down further, eventually revealing his deeply turquoise tip, his member getting flooded with his blood. It wasn’t as hard as Seungcheol’s, but he was sure it wouldn’t take long for him.

The other boy swallowed at the sight. “You are so… _peaked_ … That is kind of unusual…”, he pointed out, but he was so hungry to touch it.

“Are you scared of that…? Or do you not like it…?”, he asked unsure.

He shook his head. “Jihoon, no. I just didn’t knew it could look like that. I haven’t seen many…”, he pointed at his crotch, “…of these… before. It’s just unusual to me. I’m not scared. Actually, I can’t wait to touch you.” Jihoon blushed but eventually took his place back on the lap.

Catching the others’ lips, Jihoon played with his tongue around Seungcheol’s, the warm hands on his colder body made him shiver as they wandered up to his chest.

“Let me try something”, Seungcheol warned him when he broke the kiss, the index fingers of both his hands gently flicked over the smaller ones’ nipples, his body jerking in response, whining his name. “I guess this feels good, hm?” His fingers move faster, Jihoon arching his back. It felt so good, his lust washed over him again and again, causing his moans to grow louder. He squealed when one of the hands covered his mouth, bound to breathe through his nose.

“Not so loud, or dad might wake up…!”, he alarmed the other boy.

“Then don’t make me feel this good…”, he said muffled against the hand.

Swallowing, he gave back, “Alright… I’ll take my hands back.” They sunk down, trailing along Jihoon’s figure, resting at his butt, his thumbs gently rubbing over its’ cheeks.

He couldn’t believe this was actually happening. Their naked bodies touching, making noises they never knew they could do, the different temperatures they radiated finding a synchronization, melting into each other’s touch. Excitement making them shiver, both erections nudging against one another, their lips finding themselves on their own. The tongues dancing, hands wandering over their bodies, making Seungcheol squeeze Jihoon’s butt.

Brave enough to sink his hands between them again, he first grabs Seungcheol’s shaft, slowly pumping him, rewarded by moans into their kiss. They intensify as he goes faster, eventually gripping both lengths and moving on them. The gentle rub of the others’ member against his own send shivers across his spine.

Feeling weak to the touch, Seungcheol dared his hands to go between the cheeks, caressing the tiny entrance of the boy on his lap. The voice above him grows into a groan, showing his enjoyment. But he wanted more. Scared to ruin it but too hungry not to try, he dips the fingertip into the small hole. A whine above him enacts but dies in the sound of their surroundings – the splashing sound of the river and the rustling of the leaves in the tree hiding their heated interactions. He started to move in and out, the moans hidden behind the other noises.

Jihoon’s touch was starting to give the taller boy a difficult time to hold back. His control was starting to wear thin as his ecstasy was approaching faster with every thrust. Feeling as if Jihoon wasn’t as close as him, he broke the kiss, sinking his head to the chest of him, his tongue reaching for one nipple, teasing it gently before capturing it with his lips.

Jihoon’s free hand grabbed tightly onto Seungcheol’s shoulder, his hips shuddering and starting to move on their own, supporting the small thrusts of the finger inside him. He caught himself moving strong enough to let it slip in deeper. The lust bubbled out of him, “Gods, yes”, his moans getting louder as Seungcheol reached deeper inside him, making him long for more.

That lascivious sounds made Seungcheol so hungry for more that he pushed his finger in as far as he could, earning a loud moan, almost a scream of lust. To his bad, Jihoon got used to it very soon and demanded more, so he carefully entered a second finger. His own peak was so close, he feared he’d be the first to release. He worried, it might turn the other off, so he tried his best to control it, although it took a lot from him, the steadiness of the movements on Jihoon got weaker.

Jihoon noticed and pulled Seungcheol’s fingers out. “What’s wrong? Is it not good?”, he asked worried, his hand gowing slower on them.

To his surprise he found himself gasping. “I am so close… but I don’t want to… It feels so good and I don’t want to disappoint you…”

Shaking his head, Jihoon kissed his forehead and said, “You could never disappoint me. What you are doing right now with me is more I ever wanted.” Realizing what he said, he fell silent.

“You-”, he started but blushed instead. “Jihoon, you wanted to do this with me…?”

It took him some courage to explain, “I wanted this for so long and I want this to be good for both of us.” The hand from the shoulder now cupped his cheek, eyes locked on his. “Let’s continue, I’m craving for you so much, Cheol.”

His last words kicked Seungcheol so close to his edge that he moaned slightly, his fingers finding their way back to Jihoon’s entrance just to get pushed away. “Don’t get me wrong, it feels good, but I want more.” His look went down to between their legs, then looking up again, biting his lower lip, making panic and expectations flutter in Seungcheol’s stomach. Did he just suggest…?

Without any further words, Jihoon lifted himself up a bit, scooting closer and guiding Seungcheol’s member to his now slightly stretched entrance. “I didn’t know that this is a thing, but it felt good and I want you inside me.” Carefully, he let himself sink onto it, a slight pain before the tip slipped in, a groan escaping his throat.

Seungcheol overwhelmed by the tight sensation around him, managed to gasp, the tiny sensitive little spots beneath his tip got stimulated stronger than before with Jihoon’s hand, and he was scared what sounds he could make, when his beloved Aquarial started to move.

Before he could even imagine of what might happen, Jihoon started to move just slowly, the tip exiting and entering again. The procedure took longer than with the fingers but eventually, he sunk bit by bit more onto him. When he completely sat down on him, his upper body shivered. “This is deeper than before”, he sighed, voice dripping of lust. Again, he started to move. Gentle at first, but as he got more and more used to it, sloppy wet sounds enacted, making Seungcheol’s face turn lewd.

He wanted to move. And he tried to carefully thrust into him, but the way he sat didn’t grant him the best way to do as he wished. He retrieved, much to Jihoon’s despise, and pushed him off carefully to get up, pulling the others’ butt up and kneeled behind him, positioning himself. “You feel so good, I need to have you this way.” He pushed in without a warning, Jihoon’s face sinking into the grass, weak to his desires. Seungcheol leaned over him, his upper body touching the smaller ones’ back, making the whole length sink into him completely.

Seungcheol started to move and cursed in his bliss, making Jihoon whine that he should move faster. He did but also curled one hand around his waist to pump Jihoon’s lonely wiggling member. His moans where so satisfying, he wished he could listen to them forever.

The faster movements were Seungcheol’s kryptonite, his ecstasy soon washed over him, liquids shooting out of him and into his beautiful lover. He felt strength leaving him but couldn’t stop when Jihoon gasped, “Don’t stop now…! You feel so good…!”

The thrusts intensifying even more, the length inside him suddenly hit something, making him throw up his head and exclaim a surprised groan. “There, there…! Yes, stay there…!”

Seungcheol did his best with the left strength and concentrated on the same area, hoping his member could contain the size a bit longer, though he didn’t know what the other was so excited about. _Maybe this was an Aquarial thing?_

The more the spot got hit, the stronger bliss washed over Jihoon. He was so close and could only show it with grabbing Seungcheol’s thigh. The teasing on his member became stronger when the hand concentrated on his tip, making him nearly sink into a messy pile of lust. He tried his best to withstand, both treatments so good that he felt like getting out of breath.

Then, his climax kicked in. The loudest noise he had ever made felt like exploding out of his chest into the wide world above the water. Seungcheol slowed his movements, the clear liquids exited the tip, vanishing into the earth. Jihoon lost his strength, his legs gave in and his body sunk flat to the ground, the member in his behind slipped out, the white thick liquids dripped along his testicles.

Lying next to him in the grass, Seungcheol huffed exhausted, pulling Jihoon closer to him to cuddle. Both out of breath, they were silent for a while, staring up into the leaves and branches of the tree that had guarded them from the sight of others.

Eventually, Jihoon broke the silence “Do you think your dad heard us?”

He chuckled, “Let’s hope not. But you were surprisingly loud. I never knew you could be this loud.” Teasing him, he received a weak punch against his chest.

He climbed on his best friend, head resting on the chest he just punched. “Cheol, this was what I was longing for so long. I hope this didn’t ruin anything between us.”

“I feel the same.” He fell silent for a few second, then explained, “I knew you had a thing for me. I wanted to show you so often that I felt the same and that it’s okay but the image of only man and woman being allowed together in our society scared you off… I hoped I could erase that fear… I wanted more than just that friendship for so long now.” He blushed, “Honestly, I don’t know when I last slept without thinking of you…”

Lifting his head, he peeked over to his friend. “Did you touch yourself while thinking of me…?”

Rolling his eyes, “God, so often. My head wouldn’t let me sleep at times if I wouldn’t have.” He couldn’t hide a grin. “What about you? I always thought of Aquarials being pure and not having these bodily desires but just now completely changed my sight of it.”

Another hit against the chest. “Pure? We are just like you with minor differences. Why would we not want to do this, too?”

“Yeah, but… I thought you wouldn’t get heated like we do. Besides, don’t try to ignore my question!” He poked Jihoon’s sides, making him squeal.

“Alright, alright! Yeah, I touched myself… but only once, to be honest. I always tried to hold it back… until earlier today. Remember when I suddenly went to take a swim?”, he explained.

It suddenly clicked in his head. “Oh, so you really did pleasure yourself? That’s why you had this bulge when you got out of the water.”

He blushed and tried to hide his face in his chest. “Wait, I did? Oh my, I didn’t even notice…”

Snickering, Seungcheol teased, “That explains a lot.” Earning a third punch, stronger this time, he asked shyly, “Was it… what I did, was it okay for you?”

Raising an eyebrow, he eyed the boy beneath him. “If I wouldn’t have enjoyed it, it wouldn’t have ended like it did, dummy.” He observed the shy look of the other that now averted. Jihoon sighed, “Let me guess, you mean when you pushed me to the ground and went inside me from behind?”

Panicking, Seungcheol covered the Aquarial’s mouth. “I can’t believe how you can say that so shamelessly…! You used to be the shy and quiet one and now… Sex changed you!” Even though he was worried, he couldn’t help but smile at his last sentence.

Jihoon snorted. “What, don’t tell me you are scared now?” A cheeky grin crossed his lips.

Joining in the grin, he whispered, “Absolutely not”, pulled him close and gave him a deep kiss, exiting a pleasant sigh. When they broke apart, he couldn’t help but stare into that beautiful face. “Jihoon, god, I feel like my heart is going to explode. I never felt like this before.”

“I didn’t know this was possible either. But it makes me want to stay here with y-“

“Boys?!”

They froze. “Oh no”, they said together. Seungcheol’s dad searched for them and they were still lying here, naked, their clothes scattered on the ground.

“The next customers will be here in a few minutes, get ready!”, he yelled.

Staring at each other, they realized they had completely forgotten about their work. Jihoon nudged Seungcheol’s side, urging him to say something in return. “Ah… O-Okay! We are out for a swim and will come back now!”

They could hear him grunt. “Good, hurry up!” Then he stomped away.

Thankfully the river was close enough to jump in, so they grabbed their clothes and leaped inside, Jihoon helping Seungcheol to pull his underwear up, then kissing up from his tummy to his chest, capturing his lips shortly and then putting on his clothes himself. Since he did that daily, he didn’t have any struggle unlike his friend before.

He swam up to catch his breath, looking towards the entrance for their clients but didn’t see anyone yet. Under water, Jihoon watched his body, the fabric around his legs shifting in the water, beneath that it looked like the shrunken member floated around and he couldn’t help but wanting to be close to him again. The water felt different now, as if its temperature got cooler or maybe it was just his body, still warm from the act just now.

Swimming over to him, he hugged his lower body, surprising the taller one. Taking a deep breath, he let himself sink until his head was under water again. He saw Jihoon’s face nuzzling against his tummy, a pleased smile on his face. Seungcheol couldn’t help but grin.

Gently, he loosened the Aquarials’ grip and pulled him up to his face, looking at him lovingly. Closing in, their foreheads rested against each other, then he kissed his nose, signaling the other, he should prepare for a kiss. Then, he pointed at his throat, showing he needed air, the slightly open mouth of the other turned into a wide grin.

Jihoon connected their lips and gave him a burst, covering it with a lovely kiss.

This was perfect. This is, what both craved for so long. Nothing would get in their way now.

Or that's what they thought.


	2. First Time Breathing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> Yes, I've been away for a long time and I am sorry about that.  
> Life was difficult the last months and I lost strength to continue writing.  
> I had to bring myself to write again and as I was reading what I started to write before this… blockade happened, I felt energized and wanted to continue.  
> So, here I am, back with some strength.  
> Sorry for the length of this chapter... I hope you will enjoy!!
> 
> Oh and btw Happy New Year, lol

“S-Seungcheol…!” Jihoon muttered when the hand of his lover wandered up his chest beneath his shirt. Chuckling at the sweet pecks he received on his cheek, he tried to pay back with tickling the others’ sides.

The black-haired young man jerked away. “Stop! Ah, you are so mean…”, he pouted, rubbing his sides, a grin flashing on his face the second right after. “Why can’t I spend some time with you like this, hm?”

Rolling his eyes, Jihoon answered, “Because we are still at work and we have one more job today. Besides, I don’t want your dad running in on us again…” Slightly blushing when he remembered that one afternoon a few days ago, they had started with gentle hugs and continued with kisses, when he had his hand in his lovers’ pants, the bear came into the cabin where they were at their heated act. He had never felt that embarrassed before. They had frozen until the bear decided to turn around and leave, not losing a single word about it since.

“Well”, he started, “at least he knows about us now.” Still unable to wipe that grin off his face, he nudged his Aquarial with his elbow.

Scoffing, the smaller one kicked his shin but careful enough not to leave any bruises. “It was so awkward…!” _Why, oh, why_ , he thought, _did he have to find out about us like that?_ Shaking his head, still in disbelief, he pushed Seungcheol away gently when he dared a second approach with his hands already reaching the hem of his shirt. “Come on, just one more nobleman with his poor child.”

Again, he pouted, “This job is tearing us apart.” Rewarded by a laugh of his beautiful friend, he couldn’t help but smile. The sound of it was so wonderful, it reminded him of the leaves in the trees, rustling when the wind rushed through them.

“This job grants us to be together almost the whole day, silly.” Getting up on his feet, he stretched his muscular arms into the sky, releasing a delightful hum before clapping his hands together and letting them fall to his side again. “Get up, just this last one for today, okay?” The taller one still pouted, his eyes now big and pleading up into the green ones of the other. Rolling his eyes once more, Jihoon added, “After that, we can continue where we left of… or maybe even a little more.” Cheol’s eyes started to sparkle but he didn’t get up, maybe a little surprised by that suggestion. “And”, he stretched it to expand the expectations, “maybe I let you do with me whatever you want…” A smirk formed on his lips, his eyebrows wiggled shortly at the human boy before he turned around and stepped towards the water.

Finally, Seungcheol jumped to his feet, gripping Jihoon’s wrist. “You mean that?!” His heart almost felt like jumping into his throat. A simple nod and that smirk made it nearly explode. “Alright, I’m ready. Where is that last customer?!”, he yelled, making Jihoon laugh again.

“Shush, Cheol!”, his dad shot when he stepped out of the cabin towards the shore where they stood. “They could be here any minute. Stop yelling, you know these rich people don’t like to be criticized by…”, he hesitated and looked down on the young boys, then himself, “well, people like us.”

“Actually”, Jihoon threw in, “I’m not one of these _people_ like you-“

“Right, you are way better!”, Seungcheol burst in, looking fully honest with his words. The other two men looked at him slightly annoyed.

“You know how I meant that”, his dad finished. “Anyway, they are supposed to arrive soon. Be prepared”, he said more to Jihoon than to Seuncheol, still received a “Yes” from his son instead of his assistant… or son in law…? He still wasn’t used to the fact of his son being head over heals with best friend. It wasn’t something usual, having a man-and-man-relationship, adding his partner was another species but as long as both his sons were happy, he didn’t bother too much. He knew Jihoon for a long time and he trusted him to behave well. Of course, he trusted Seungcheol just as much, he was just… sometimes a bit _too_ energetic. “Good.” Then, he turned to the tree, grabbing two heavy ropes from the branch they dried on when the sun was still up high.

Dawn came upon the land, the sun closed in to the horizon, turning the fields around them into gold, the reflection on the river sparkled, throwing wavering shadows to the ground beneath it. The shadows of the trees around them grew longer, as if trying to grab their feet. It had something beautiful, but also something scary. The night beneath the water surface seemed more welcoming to Jihoon, but maybe he still just wasn’t used to it.

As soon as his dad turned around, Seungcheol stole a soft kiss from Jihoon, leaving him a bit perplexed. It took him a few seconds to process but when he did, he tried hitting the culprit, who already got out of reach, sticking out his tongue.

“I swear to the gods, I will make you do things with that later if you dare to do that again!”, he cursed after him with a smile.

The other shrugged, the cheeky grin still dancing on his lips. “I wouldn’t mind, you know that.”

_That’s the plan, stupid,_ he thought and his opponent nearly tripped when interpreting the look Jihoon gave him, blushing slightly. Laughing at Seungcheol, he hadn’t noticed the customers coming up behind him, the face of his beloved changed to a bitter expression, and he froze when he heard a snarling voice close to his ear.

“I’ve never heard these ugly creatures laugh. It’s even more disgusting than I expected.”

Jihoon jumped away and turned around, covering his ear. A tall figure stood there, back still bowed forward from when he just whispered into his ear. Something about him caused a shiver to run down his spine.

Slowly, the man straightened his back, showing how tall he was, an ugly smirk with flashing teeth, his hair brushed back. He wore a long coat-like jacket with patterns of a wild animal Jihoon didn’t know, wrapped around him with nothing beneath, the fabric made it look like a V-cut that exposed the naked skin that stretched over his collarbones and shoulders, where it hid beneath the coat again. His legs were covered by a black pants, his shoes were made of snake skin.

Unlike the other customers so far, he wasn’t afraid of Aquarials. Instead it seemed like he wanted to teach them fear. Or at least Jihoon.

There was a brief moment of silence, the man started to speak again, this time his voice sounded supercilious. “I’m here because of the ritual. My… son is supposed to take it today. Is there an adult I can talk to? I don’t like talking to kids or…”, he eyed Jihoon, “…monsters.”

Right at his words, Seungcheol’s dad stepped outside and pushed Jihoon away carefully to speak to the man. He didn’t listen to their conversation because he saw a figure behind the man stepping aside. _That must be his son_ , he thought, although they didn’t look much alike.

The son’s brown hair was combed back and kept short just like his fathers’, his eyes slim but looking down, the nose pointed to the ground with them, hiding his lips. He seemed to be taller than Jihoon, his skin pale as if he wouldn’t feel well. Although he seemed fragile next to his father, he was well-built and looked elegant in his clothes that looked average compared to the ones of the man beside him. Just like so many other young boys, he feared his father. Some feared the trial, others their parents. Next to that, Jihoon realized that he was older than most of the boys he had to accompany. He seemed to be around the age of Seungcheol.

But the fear he felt was something different. As if he knew something was off. In the end, Jihoon wished he had examined the situation more, maybe he would have been able to prevent the following.

In his defense, he got distracted by the third person coming up. Another man that was constantly bowing and not looking up, taking orders from that nobleman Jihoon started to hate. He radiated so much arrogance that he feared to gag. The other man accepting the orders held something in his palms, too small for him to make out.

“We will prepare your son then.” The bear’s voice pulled him back to reality, watching the boy stepping up to him, who led him further to the cabin, stopping at the stall. The nobleman started to eye Jihoon again and the bear hated seeing him getting confronted with the likes of these men. Gently, he put his hand on the shoulders of the boy. “Calm down. This will be over soon, okay? You won’t get hurt, I promise you that.”

The boy looked up and his eyes seemed to scream for help, but he didn’t dare to say a word. Assuming it was the fear of the trial,the bear huffed and lowered his voice. “Our Aquarial assistant here will make sure you will come out of there, okay? I can assure, you will be okay. Now stand up straight, you will be a man of honor if this is done, right?” The speech was supposed to give strength, but it didn’t really work. Still, the boy straightened his back and looked up, earning a gentle smile of the older man. “Very good. What’s your name, son?”

Before he answered he peeked over to his father, making sure he didn’t see. “Soonyoung.”

Patting his shoulder, he was surprised the young man didn’t fall to his knees like Jihoon almost did every time. “Well then, Soonyoung. Over there”, he pointed at Seungcheol whose eyes were vigilant at the situation of the man and Jihoon, “is my son, Seungcheol. He will tie you up. Carefully, of course.” Hearing his name, Seungcheol ripped his eyes off Jihoon and that man and went towards his dad and the boy.

Soonyoung nodded but his eyes wandered to Jihoon. He observed his body and face, his tensed muscles ready to defend himself of a possible attack of the creepy tall man he was supposed to call his father. The Aquarial looked more beautiful than all the others his father owned, he couldn’t take his eyes of him.

Jihoon himself felt drained, all his concentration was in his tensing muscles. The stare of the man didn’t allow him to turn around. In fact, he was scared to turn around. He could sneak up behind him and kill him. Jihoon felt like the prey facing its predator.

He heard Seungcheol saying his name, probably talking to his father, and out of tension turned around, regretting it at the same time. Something around his waist closed, pressing on the gills beneath his ribs, making him squeal in pain until it wandered up to grab his chin. _That creepy bastard!_

The man had put his arms around him silently, one hand holding his chin, so he had to look in the direction of the river, bringing his ear closer to the man’s lips. “I’ve never seen such a beautiful exemplar like you… When this is over, you are mine. We will have the greatest fun in my bed you can imagine…” His voice sounded erotic, but it was more a threat than a lure. Jihoon couldn’t escape the grip, he felt like frozen into it. The other arm that had pressed against his gills now loosened, the hand wondering to his crotch, gripping in it tightly, fingers curling around his member. He whined, disgust washing over him. “Oh, seems like a good catch to me… I bet you are huge when touched the right way. I can’t wait to _see_ you.”

He gagged. The voice felt like poison in his ears, burning in them, the touch making him curl, wanting to turn into a ball. Before he could actually vomit, the man let go with a chuckle.

“What a wonderful sound you just made… I will make sure you will do this often as soon as you are mine.”

_A sick fanatic. That’s what he was._

Jihoon didn’t dare to turn around and looked for Seungcheol, one hand over his mouth. Their eyes met and Seungcheol went pale, running over to him. “Oh my god, are you alright?! What happened?! Jihoon!”

Soonyoung, half-tied, looked over to them, seeing the grin on his fathers’ face and the Aquarial on the ground. “He did it again”, he whispered. Looking up at the big man who had tried to calm him, he whispered, “You have to stop this… please.”

“What did you do?!”, Seungcheol screamed at the man but Jihoon tapped on his shoulder.

“Cheol, it’s okay… Let’s get this over with, we will never see him again, if this is done…”, he coughed but ther was a feeling lingering inside him. Something that told him, this time their job wouldn’t proceed as usual. Of course, his lover didn’t want to listen but gave in, when Jihoon leaned against him.

Unsure if it was a chuckle coming out of the older man’s throat, Seungcheol looked up. “What a sweet sight. My boy, you care too much for your slave.”

“Slave?!” Seungcheol was about to explode but Jihoon pulled on his shirt.

“Ignore it. Please.”

It took him some will power to drop his anger, helping Jihoon up who still held his stomach. “Tell me everything when this is over.” Gently rubbing his back, he guided him to his father, finishing his job to tie up the boy. “Your dad is the absolute worst”, he cussed at the boy, but his father silenced him.

“That’s not his fault, son. Just finish this. It will all be over in a moment.” He acted calm but the hand on Soonyoung’s shoulder gripped stronger onto it. He should have stepped in and showed that bastard where he belongs, but he couldn’t in front of the young men. Gritting his teeth, he once again faced Soonyoung. “I’ll help you get to the shore. As soon as you are down there, you have to free yourself. But remember, you are not alone.” The boy nodded but didn’t look very convinced due to the worry inside him, though the bear was unable to tell.

When his stomach had calmed, Jihoon slowly stood up straight, observing the tied-up boy again. He looked helpless as if ready to die. _Weird_ , he thought but didn’t have much time to think about it when Cheol’s dad lifted him up to carry him to the shore. Their eyes met for a second and his stomach twisted slightly. Something about him felt familiar. His eyes were brown but had a deep green hidden in it, his skin so pale, similar to his own… But he was no Aquarial. _What was that?_

Walking next to his boss, they reached the shore. “Prepare. This might be a bit rough, but I will throw you into the water. Inhale and hold it. Give me a sign when you are ready”, the tall man explained.

Soonyoung, still uneasy about the whole situation, closed his eyes in hopes to calm his heavy beating heart but to no avail, took a deep breath like he always did when he had to go through this trial. _Right, this is not your first time. Just get it over with._ But he always felt as nervous as the first time he did it. Inhaling deeply, he held his breath and nodded, slowly opening his eyes again. The look of the man carrying him was gently, one last attempt to calm him down.

Then, he got thrown into the air and just seconds later, he hit the water surface, slowly sinking to the ground, already feeling the tiny stone-like weights in his pants and pockets grow heavier. A splash above told him, the Aquarial joined him inside the water.

Jihoon noticed that something seemed different but still couldn’t put a finger on it at first. With his feet, he paddled towards the boy who sank deeper until he met the ground. The brown combed back hair unraveled in the water as if being happy about the freedom. Starting to wiggle, he was able to free his feet and legs but didn’t move them to swim up. Nothing too strange, Jihoon thought first.

It had been nearly two minutes and he approached the boy, ready to give him a burst. Soonyoung however, looked up to him and shook his head. Not yet. His lungs were trained well, he could pull through longer.

Surprised, the Aquarial hesitated and waited for a sign, watching how he fought with the ropes. Seungcheol had been seriously angry and he worried he might have knotted the ties too strong. He twitched when the head of the boy shot up, his eyes asking kindly for air as if he had done this so many times. Closing in, Jihoon placed his hands on the cheeks of the other, the skin as cool as the water itself – just like his.

When the other boy came closer, Soonyoung couldn’t help but admire the features of the Aquarials’ face. He was so pretty. For a second, he feared to blush due to the situation but could keep control over himself. Never had he been so close to someone so beautiful. He accepted the burst, noticing how it was probably the cleanest he had ever received, his lungs felt fresh with the new oxygen dancing inside them. With that, he could pull through even longer. Again, he tried to fight the ties, which gave him serious trouble. He might not make it in time.

Nervously, he watched him, giving him burst after burst. He seemed so physically strong, why couldn’t he free himself? They had been down here for quite a while…

Finally, the ropes fell to the ground, making Jihoon release a sigh of relief. Ready to swim back to the surface, he swam up a bit but turned around when noticing the boy didn’t make any move to get up. Worried, he swam back to him, noticing the boys’ eyes shut. Gently, he touched his face to gain his attention. If he would continue this, this would be it. There was no burst left. But he wouldn’t let that happen.

He had to think of something if it would come to that. Sadly, Seungcheol counted the bursts given so he couldn’t just give him another and deny that he gave more than allowed. Damn, what to do?

Soonyoung opened his eyes, a sorrowful look on his face, shaking his head. When he saw Jihoon’s questioning face he nodded at his wrists. Jihoon looked down and tried to grab his hand and pull him up but to no avail. He was too heavy. The Aquarial’s eyes grew big.

“Why are you wearing this?”, he asked. It sounded weird speaking under water, as if the sound waves weren’t strong enough to reach the other person, but he couldn’t believe why the boy would wear something like _that_. When his head shot up, nodding to the surface, Jihoon understood. “Your father made you put on this bracelet?”

He gave a sad nod as an answer. Eyebrows furrowed, he hoped the silent apology came through. But the sea man didn’t look at him and started to fumble on the bracelet on both arms, then grabbed his hand again to pull him up – still no use. Soonyoung pointed at his pockets in his pants and the one in his shirt and shook his head.

He didn’t want to be saved. He wanted to end it all. Here, in the water, where he felt save. He wanted to die.

Jihoon shook his head. “No chance. I won’t let you die!” He grabbed inside the boys’ shirt, trying to pull out tiny rock-looking pearls out of the pocket. They were so heavy that he could only grab four at a time. He was so concentrated and driven by fury that he nearly forgot that the boy needed air. _Shit!_

Soonyoung’s eyes got heavy when his lungs started to burn, screaming for air. Watching how the Aquarial tried to save him made his heart weak, but there was no way to be rescued. The boy grabbed him by the face, about to give him a burst but hesitated. He wasn’t allowed to. And at this rate, it could be too late.

Anger burned inside him because of that disgusting person shoving his son into his death. Giving the situation, though, he had to put it aside and think of a solution. The time was wearing thin with every second and he was about to scream in frustration. Suppressing a cry, his head sunk to his chest, his hands slipping down the boys’ cheeks to the sides of his neck. He jerked when a sudden cold burned against his fingers.

Usually, he was used to the cold, but this sensation was so strong, it felt like a hot sting. There was something underneath his skin… And he realized what it was.

His hands went to the boys’ cheeks again, regaining his attention, although it was already very weak. Inside, he begged for the boy to understand him. Expressing an utmost apology, he said, “I’m so sorry but I won’t let you die. I can save you. But this might hurt. Do you trust me?”

There was this last shimmer of hope inside Soonyoung that didn’t want to die. In that moment, it was all he could express. He was used to pain; how bad could it be?

As soon as he saw the plead in his eyes, Jihoon pressed their lips together. A burst was too late now. Instead, he started to suck out the last bit of air in the others’ lungs, making him cling to his arms. His own fingers dug into his skin at the side of the neck of the other, nails growing into short claws. He wasn’t proud of them, but it was the natural defense an Aquarial is born with. The feeling of the smooth softness breaking beneath his fingers should have made him gag but he had no time to feel sick. Beneath it, the cold sensation grew stronger, fought its way out of the body it was trapped inside. Dark blood started to spread and that was when Jihoon knew, he had to hurry. It wouldn’t hurt as much if he pulled through fast enough.

Gaining all his strength and bravery, he pulled his fingers towards himself, the damp sound of leather ripping made him shiver. This was the worst he had ever done, and he had never thought he would be able to do such a thing. He just hoped it would rescue him.

The boy pulled away, gasping for air in the water and his body shook, his fingers still clinging to Jihoon’s arms. Several painful cries escaped him, a scream until he realized – he could breathe.

Jihoon yelped in pain of the strong grip but held the boy tight to his body until it stopped shivering. Then he released him, looking into his eyes. “Breathe.” The boy tried to inhale but couldn’t – something in his throat was blocked. He shook his head and put on a gentle smile. “Not with your human lungs. Breathe through here.” Very careful, he touched the scratches on the boys’ neck. There was still blood but not as much as he had expected and just now, he noticed it not being red or blue – but lilac. It dissolved in the water as if nothing had happened.

Soonyoung shook his head. He didn’t know what the Aquarial meant but his smile kept him caught.

“You are already doing it unconsciously”, Jihoon explained.

Before the boy could say anything, he realized that it was true. He lived, he breathed… somehow. Carefully, he released the Aquarial out of his grip and lead it to his neck where the pain came from. Or where there was supposed to be pain. There were three slits beneath his jawline and when he touched them, he realized how sensitive they were. He felt gentle waves of the water rubbing against it, but he still didn’t understand.

“I’ll explain later. For now, we must free you from these goddamn _corapondi_. After that, let’s drown your father with these.” His smile was soft but the aura residing from him was scary. He didn’t let the boy protest and turned him around, so he laid down on his stomach, gripping inside the back pockets of his pants, pulling out more _corapondi_. Mumbling several curses, he had learned from Seungcheol, scattering the pearls across the riverbed. When he was finally free, he grabbed Soonyoung’s hand and pulled him up to the surface.

While Jihoon walked out of it elegantly, Soonyoung himself coughed up water, looking like a drunkard next to the angelic creature that had just saved him. Only now, he realized how his wounds started to burn. The man who had carried him to the shore earlier hurried over and gently rubbed his back, hoping he could help him freeing is body of the water.

Seungcheol watched Jihoon march up to Soonyoung’s father with a fierce expression, the man turning pale and stumbling backwards. “How is that possible…? He wasn’t supposed to…!”

Furious, Jihoon started yelling, “To survive?! Did you try to kill your own son?!” The tall man took a step back, wide eyes at the _monster._ Taking deep breaths, he continued quieter, “You wanted to kill him and make this look like our fault, right?” His fists started shivering, disgust boiling within him. “And as a kind of refund you wanted to take me.”

Soonyoung’s father didn’t fight back the accusations and pulled up his nose. “You would be better off with me.”

The anger again started to heat up. “Oh, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t. The way you talked to me earlier… The way you touched me. This isn’t the first time you are doing this, right? How many of my kind do you held captive as your sex slaves?!” Emotions bubbled up and his eyes filled with tears. He felt sorry for all the other Aquarials he held in his home, getting humiliated with certain tasks he doesn’t want to think about.

Before the man in front of him could say anything, Soonyoung coughed, “Eight,”, clearing his throat, he repeated, “He has eight Aquarials in his basement that’s filled with…”, he shook his head at the image of his head, trying to get rid of it, ”…various utensils.” Receiving a deadly stare of his father, he just stared back – he didn’t care. This injustice shouldn’t be kept secret any longer. He felt a sudden rush of confidence. He just slipped through Death’s fingers, it was only natural to feel gratitude and pride, it was thrilling and made him numb to fear.

Feeling sick to his stomach, Jihoon had to cover his mouth. Seungcheol got up to him holding him gently. With sweet words he tried to calm him, his stomach got better but his body couldn’t stop trembling inside his lovers’ arms.

From above, he stared down to the young people before him. “Disgusting. Don’t touch my valuable good, you filthy dog.”

Realizing, the man had talked to him, Seungcheol let go of Jihoon and stepped up. “Don’t talk of him as a thing! You are the filthy dog here. Get off our property! And don’t even think of taking your son with you!”

Scoffing, he replied, “Son? He isn’t my own flesh and blood. He is the child of my sister. She is just as disgusting as all the Aquarials. Keep him as your pet or whatever. I don’t want this disappointment in my home anyway.” He smirked evil. “But this isn’t over. You will pay for your behavior.” Truning to Jihoon again, he whispered, “And you will belong to me at whatever cost.”

“Sir”, Seungcheol’s father said, “I don’t care if he is your son or not, but may the Gods forgive me for saying this.” He stepped close to the men, looking deep into his eyes. “The real monster is you. You aren’t qualified to be called a human. Let these poor people go. And don’t you ever refer to someone else as a pet or thing again. I will personally make sure you will regret it.” His knuckles cracked.

Never had Jihoon seen his boss that angry. Next to him, Seungcheol swallowed hard.

Without another word and just a sly grin, the man stepped back and nodded as a goodbye, turning around, just to look back at his… _not_ -son one last time. His eyes were full of hatred and Soonyoung couldn’t help himself but to suppress a whimper, gripping into the soft grass around him. The fear was back again but he couldn’t judge himself for that – his father, no, uncle was the most intimidating being walking on this earth. Swinging his head around arrogantly, he finally left, Soonyoung sinking into a heavy pile of guilt, trying to breathe.

There was a moment in which no one could move, nothing besides Soonyoungs huffs was heard. Then, Seungcheol gently caressed Jihoon’s cheeks. “He is gone. It’s okay. I am here.” With a soft kiss on his forehead, Jihoon released a breath he didn’t know he had held back. It freed him from so much anger and sorrow, yet it wouldn’t completely fade.

The bear turned to Soonyoung, who sat there completely still in the grass, unable to think. “Boy, let’s get you dry and warm. Come with me.” It was a suggestion to follow him, but he walked up to him, again lifting him up and carrying him inside the cabin, setting him down on a wooden bench. In the bathroom, he reached for a towel, giving it to the boy, who still couldn’t talk. “Listen, son. It’ll only get better from now on. You are free.” He put so much strength into that last word to make this weak boy understand.

Hearing these words moved something in him. _Free_ has been a word he had craved for so long. After all these years, his body finally gave in. Tears built in his eyes and he started bawling soon after that, completely forgetting about the pain in his neck.

They heard the crying within the cabin but stayed outside. The shivering of his love in his arms had stopped and finally, Seungcheol dared to ask, “What happened down there, Jihoon?”

He had to inhale deeply before answering. “The son”, he hesitated shortly, “or whoever he is, was forced to wear bracelets made of _corapondi._ They are corals that get heavier the more water they absorb. One corapondus alone can reach a maximum weight of 5 kilos… But on land they weigh as much as feathers.” Seungcheol looked at him. Unsure if he understood, Jihoon continued, “He wore two bracelets, one on each wrist. Then some in his chest pocket and the back pockets of his pants… Do you understand?” His counterpart furrowed his eyebrows, expressing that he feared the answer. “He tried to drown the boy.”

Seungcheol pulled him closer, shaking his head. “This man is the worst.” Kissing his head, he asked, “But… what did you do down there? I mean, you both survived, and I am really happy about that but… how? You’ve been down there for so long, I already assumed, he might have...” Swallowling his last words, he knew the young Aquarial in his arms understood.

He leaned away slightly to look in his eyes. “Honestly, it was… I just somehow hoped and assumed. I noticed he was different… kind of. His eyes and skin are similar to mine and when we were down there… he radiated something cold in his neck area.” He swallowed. “I felt his gills.” Looking at his partner, he knew he had confused him. “His blood is lilac. Not red and not blue. I think, he might be a-“

“-Hybrid.” They looked up from the spot they sat in and saw the other young man stumble over to them on his still weak legs. When he reached them, he fell to his knees, huffing from exhaustion. With the sun almost gone, his figure looked more like a silhouette. “My mother secretly fell in love with an Aquarial and, well, I was born. When her family found out… she got abandoned. But that’s not all. They killed my father, so my mom had to survive on her own. She…” He sighed before he continued, “She became sick and couldn’t take care of me any longer. So, she went to her grandmother. The only person who stood by her side. She was the one telling me all this when I got older. Thanks to her, the family took me in.” He shifted his body to sit more comfortably but winced when cold air blew against his still wounded neck. “It was hell, if I might say so.”

Seungcheol reached out and patted the boy’s shoulder. “You are better off now.” He fell silent for a second, but then asking, “What was your name again?”

“Soonyoung”, the other said shortly.

Smiling, he shook his weak hand. “Nice to meet you, Soonyoung. I’m Seungcheol and this is Jihoon.” He pointed at his friend who just nodded.

“Nice to meet you, too. I didn’t know I had…. These.” Gently, he touched the slits on his neck – his gills. “Thank you”, he looked at Jihoon with a sincere smile.

The Aquarial smiled back, sitting up more comfortable but still leaning against his partner.

Then, the Hybird carefully approached, “So… You two are…?” His raised eyebrows showed his curiosity but also sincerity, worried he might hurt someone when asking.

Seungcheol’s cheeks flushed red, so Jihoon explained. “Yes. We are lovers.” His look was serious, but his lips showed a confident smile.

“I see”, he smiled back. “I’m happy for you.” He looked at Seungcheol. “Protect him with all you have. I don’t want any other Aquarial to end up like the ones… back there.”

Now, Jihoon reached for his hand. Although he rarely took initiative to touch others besides Cheol, he rubbed over Soonyoung’s trembling fingers. “If I may ask… How did they get there…?”

His body started shivering extremely. Stuttering, he started to explain, “I-It is all my fault… H-He used me… And I couldn’t save them…” Sobs washed over him, his voice cracked. “We always went to these traditional trials and he always used me…the same way. Making me wear these bracelets, making the Aquarial try his best and as soon as I fainted, he came for my ‘rescue’. Not hard, if you know what the problem is.” He scoffed, “As a restitution, he took an Aquarial with him.” He fell silent for a second, then added, “Preferably the youngest.”

Seuncheol gulped, afraid to ask, “Why the youngest?”

A cold shiver ran down his spine when he explained, “Because they learn quickly. They get taught what”, he had to stop for a second, a sour taste in his mouth as if losing the interior of his stomach any second, but he tried to swallow it down, “what my father likes.”

Jihoon had to turn away. The image in his head was so disgusting, he couldn’t imagine how it must have been living with that information. He took deep breaths. “I know what you mean. They way he talked to me explains everything.”

Biting his lower lip, Soonyoung fell silent. Then he explained, “I wanted to save them several times but… They are watched over every second, guards are everywhere around that room, it’s impossible to get there without getting seen.” With that, his body began to shiver again.

He felt guilty. He felt like he hadn’t tried hard enough in the past. He could have saved them. Instead, he was the cause why more and more got caught and carried away by his uncle. Eyes filling with tears, the regret washed over him, resulting into sobs.

He felt defeated, weak and undeserving of what Seungcheol’s father had said to him earlier.

_You are free._

But was he really? Was it fair to be _free_ while the Aquarials back there weren’t? His uncle’s monstrosity still gripped around him tightly and he feared to never flee from it.

“We can save them together.”

He looked up, his cheeks lilac from the blood that rushed into them as he cried, now slowly losing color. His voice cracked. “What?”

With a confident grin, Seungcheol repeated his words, “We can save them together.” Both, Hybrid and his lover looked at him in disbelief. “What? We are one beautiful and super intelligent Aquarial”, Jihoon next to him blushed, taken aback by the unexpected praise, “one human, that is good at beating up people”, grins widely and points proudly at himself, “and a mixture of the best of both of them.” With a gentle nod, he smiled at Soonyoung.

“You are not alone anymore, Soonyoung. We can help you. And we will.”

It took him a few seconds to process the words. When it dawned him, what the other had offered, the relief and gratitude got the best of him, that he started to bawl loudly, throwing his head back and facing the evening sky. _Unbelievable, the kindness of these people is unbelievable._

The other two tried to calm him with comforting words – in between he heard Jihoon scold Seungcheol for making him cry – and eventually he stopped. Opening his eyes, he saw the stars and a bright shining scythe in the dark blue sea above him – the moon. In that moment, its light seemed warmer than the sun and he hoped to never forget this warmth again.

For the first time in forever he felt glad to be alive.


End file.
